Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment
The Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment is a treatment. Our analysis of its 54 ingredients (44 low-risk) rates it Excellent (97/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone, dry, and sensitive skin.
The Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment is a treatment. Our analysis of its 54 ingredients (44 low-risk) rates it Excellent (97/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone, dry, and sensitive skin.
Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.
The evidence
| EWG | CIR | Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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Water
(Solvent) |
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Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
Silicone
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Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
(Binding Agent, Skin Conditioning Agent Occlusive, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Isononyl Isononanoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antistatic Agent) |
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Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Bakuchiol
(Cosmetic Biocide, Antimicrobial) |
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Arachidyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
(Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Dimethicone Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Hair Fixing, Suspending Agent Nonsurfactant, Viscosity Increasingagent Nonaqueous, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Behenyl Alcohol
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Emollient, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent) |
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne Trigger
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PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Sufactant, Surfactant Solubilizingagent, Emulsifying) |
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Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
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C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Antimicrobial) |
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Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
Fungal Acne Trigger
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Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
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Retinol
(Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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Ceramide NG
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant) |
Good for Dry Skin
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Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
(Flavoring Agent, Skin Conditioning, Humectant) |
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glycyrrhiza glabra root extract
(Bleaching, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient, Smoothing, Soothing) |
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Avena sativa Kernel Extract
(Abrasive, Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient) |
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Arctium Lappa Root Extract
(Skin Conditioning) |
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salix alba bark extract
(Astringent, Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Soothing, Tonic) |
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Glycine Soja Sterols
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient) |
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Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Antistatic Agent, Emollient) |
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Allantoin
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing) |
Good for Oily Skin
Good for Sensitive Skin
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Tocopheryl Acetate
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning) |
Bad for Oily Skin
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Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
(Antistatic Agent, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Skin Conditioning) |
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Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent) |
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Tribehenin
(Emollient, Skin Conditioning) |
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Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant) |
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Dipeptide-2
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
(Antioxidant) |
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PEG-10 Phytosterol
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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PEG-8
(Humectant, Solvent) |
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Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
(Absorbent, Anticaking Agent, Opacifying, Slip Modifier, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Arachidyl Glucoside
(Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Chrysin
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Pentylene Glycol
(Skin Conditioning, Solvent) |
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Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
(Binding Agent, Film Forming, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Opacifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Steareth-20
(Sufactant, Emulsifying, Surfactant) |
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Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Cetearyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Opacifying, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasingagent Aqueous, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Emulsifying, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Coco-glucoside
(Cleansing, Foaming, Surfactant) |
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Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone
(Antioxidant) |
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N-Hydroxysuccinimide
(Skin Conditioning) |
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Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling) |
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Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative) |
Paraben
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Benzoic Acid
(Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Preservative, Bulking Agent, Masking) |
Bad for Sensitive Skin
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Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning) |
No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.
EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →
How to use
General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.
Trust & honesty
Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.
Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.
This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.
The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.
Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.
Retinol
L-ascorbic acid is usually used at 5–20% (around 10–15% is common). Above ~20% adds little and tends to irritate more; it also needs a low pH to work.
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.
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